Mega projects this year for North

by P. Krishnaswamy

More extensive development programs will be implemented in the Northern province in the spheres of infrastructure, agriculture, education and housing in the Northern Province in the new year, Governor Maj.Gen G.A. Chandrasiri told the Sunday Observer.

All sectors involved in implementing development programs in the Northern province worked relentlessly under the ‘Vadakkin Vasantham’ (Northern Spring) program since the defeat of terrorism in May 2009.

Remarkable progress in the spheres of infrastructure, rehabilitation, education, agriculture, housing and livelihood facilities have been achieved, he said. He expressed optimism that several major development programs that are to be implemented this year and in the following years will improve the quality of life of the long-distressed Northern Tamil community to a great extent.

The A 32 highway has been fully rehabilitated and the newly constructed Pooneryn Bridge on the highway will be opened by President Rajapaksa soon, he said.

Ninety-five percent of the de-mining process has been already completed and only some heavily mined areas in Mullaitivu and Mannar need to be cleared.

Work is now in progress. Of the 20,000 yet-to-be resettled IDPs in the Chettikulam welfare centres, about 10,000 have left the centres on their own and the remaining 10,000 will be resettled within the next one or two months, the Governor said. The Government is now working on a plan to extend micro credit facilities to the resettled families to conduct small scale businesses, trades, industries and other self-employment ventures to generate and enhance their source of income, to help them stand on their own feet, the Governor said.

The Government is also implementing intensified programs to bring vast areas of arable lands under cultivation by providing all incentives and assistance. This includes the distribution of free seed paddy, free agricultural implements, subsidised fertiliser, land preparation assistance, rehabilitation of irrigation tanks and cleaning jungles in abandoned paddy lands and distribution of two-wheel tractors, the Governor said.

For the Maha season, 30,366 hectares of paddy lands have already been cultivated in the province and the harvest in February/March will be to the tune of 350,000 metric tonnes. All irrigation tanks, small and large such as the Iranamadu tank are already full and cultivation of paddy and other highland crops can be done throughout this year, he said.

Black gram, green gram, cowpea, red onions and groundnuts have already been cultivated on large extents of lands with more lands to be brought under cultivation this year for such crops. All assistance including free seeds and subsidised fertiliser are being provided by the Government, Governor Chandrasiri said. Vegetable production is anticipated to reach 94,000 metric tonnes in March/April 2011, he said.

Coconut and cashew plantations will also be started on a large scale in the Northern and all assistance including tractors have been given to the Coconut Cultivation Board and the Cashew Corporation to go ahead with the work, Governor Chandrasiri said. Three-hundred two-wheel tractors were presented to farmers last week, he said.